richard53dog

Mel, I like that comparison! Richard

nysusan, Do you mean last Fall's MT Sleeping Beauty tour in La, Bay Area, and Detroit? Even though they announced Vishneva for Detroit, she said repeatedly on her web site that she would do the 2 California locations, but not Detroit; she had another committment. So for particular dancers (especially ones without web sites), you have to watch very closely. I was toying with going to Detroit, really for Vishneva, when it was clear that she wasn't going I gave up the idea. Richard

Fandango, There's also the Neumeier version the POB does. I haven't seen this but I'm guessing it is much less traditional than the Ashton one that Leigh mentions(and I saw last Summer). But the POB is available on DVD if you are interested in seeing it. I love the score! Richard

Helene, Bright Stream would as the Bolshoi put it on at the Met and Costa Mesa on their North American tour last Summer. They also put on Pharaoh's Daughter in NY ONLY. That looks like a very hard piece to tour with. Richard

Really........... if you need yellow hair that much , get it out of a bottle. This is one old "tradition" that I'd be happy to see tossed. Tall male? Fine. But yellow hair? Get over it. Richard

fandeballet, Yes, I think your reference was a good one. The subsidy money pool is shrinking all the time and it takes more and more creativity to get a chunk. And you're right about the Met's shrinking subscription and attendance rates. I've seen a couple of ideas the new GM has put out to try to reverse that, whether they are a success or not remains to be seen. I'm a bit here with the Met Opera, I know, but some of these problems carry in a generic form across other arts , including of course ballet and dance. primarily getting subsidy money and going after potential new audiences Richard

Yeah, I seem to remember ABT running till late July or August. My memory is hazy but I think they came into the NYST after NYCB finished their Spring Season. All in all I think this is a wonderful development. NYCO will remail part of Lincoln Center and get an 1800 seat (hopefully with good accoustics) house. Last few years have been a bit more difficult since the Met legthened their season slowly into early May then in 2005 shut down for 2 weeks in January and tacked it on in May. So years ago, the Met Opera was done by the third week of April and visitors could come in. Now it's a month later. City Center may not have so many dance bookings! Richard

The Met Opera, one of the 900 lb gorillas of the arts institutions in the US, is very, very, (yes one more time), very effective at raising money for whatever purpose. It will be interesting to see what the new GM, Peter Gelb does. It took them a year or so, but they have a new sponsor for the broadcasts(although initially the Toll Brothers may have signed up for something like a five year committment). It's my own opinion that arts institutions need to adapt to some of the mechanics for raising money in the 21st Century. Building/revitalizing audiences is critical. I look at ABT's brochures and think , hmmm... they are reaching out to pull in ticket purchasers beyond their core audience. The institutions that proactively take the steps to try to survice in the harsher financial climate of today will probably be less vulnerable to demise than the ones who rely on the old "rules" What's really tough are the really tiny companies, though Richard

But maybe this years edition will be a bit shorter than the 2005 suite. I guess Ferri is not making a trip in just for opening night. Richard

It sounds like a lot of fun. I hope I can get to one of the performances at Lincoln Center. Thanks for posting the link, Helene. Richard

I think so too. It may not be the right solution for NYCB but I believe it needs to be considered when the time comes, whenever that is, to hand over the reins. Yes, this model is more complex, and has a built in possibility of art vs money conflicts, but all the money issues, not only fundraising, but advertising, audience building, etc are increasingly critical in arts institutions today ,in the US at least. But it can work with the right combination of players. Richard

I don't think what Martins would do and where he would go is really the issue; that's who would run the NYCB. Why should we assume that the successor will come from within the ranks? Someone with no ties and a new vision could very well be a better solution. Richard

That's really so creative marketing wise. That bargain will surely be talked up quite a bit and I bet there will be long lines for the the next event, whatever it is, the day the box office opens. I'm for anything that helps a theater sell tickets, as long as it's legit. Enjoy your bargains! Richard

If I can let me ask a related question. Does anyone have info on the last year Plistetskaya danced the complete Swan Lake? I saw her in Montreal and NYC during the early-mid 70s but only in Act 2. But this may have been due to touring issues; she may still have been dancing the complete ballet in Moscow or even on other tours. Thanks Richard

Treefrog, As in $9.90 a ticket?????????????????????????????????????? I would be jumping up and down too. What a wonderful surprise! Even if I'm missreading and you got to buy two tickets at $19.80 , that's still a great bargain. Earlier in the thread $65 is shown as low price. But good for you!! Richard

I think your point is valid, you can lay various criticisms at Rockwell's feet but they don't include having an axe to grind. With some diplomacy, he gives a decent very high level overview, suitable for the readers of a major Sunday paper, making points both pro and con. Personally I am bothered by the relentless regularity of "new Martins' ballets" but let me not go any further, I may have already wandered past "polite" Richard

Isn't that always the way, though????????????? Richard

Whitelight, not only the regional companies have to build audiences but even the companies in the big cities have to replenish their audiences as they age/drop off. So I agree the advertising really has to try to reach the potential new audiences....it's essential , and yes it all about money. I'm a realist too. I also agree the NYCB needs to shake up their ad agencies. The brochures are ok I think, for the existing core audience, which is and has been for a long time, pretty loyal but all those thumbnail photos are going to put off a lot of new potential ticket buyers, and they are crucial. Although they are sometimes hokey, the ABT brochures have big , colorful photos. Going a bit , the Met Opera's brochure for next season is stunning. Richard

Sandy, I share your frustration and trust me this is not just in Seattle. The SO has become so devalued in this TV age, audiences often fell they are not honoring their performers by merely clapping. You're not alone, I stubbornly say seated unless I feel it's appropriate to hop up. Richard

Sure, me too. I saw Vishneva in quite a few roles last year in NYC and was impressed with her success in dealing with styles ranging from Petipa to Lavrovsky to Balanchine. But of course we all react to different performers in different ways, and have our favorites. Vishneva is one of mine. And sometimes repeated viewings increase our enthusiasm and other times the reverse happens. I could mention other dancers that the very first time I saw them represented my peak of enthusiam with diminishing rewards afterwards, but why? They are no doubt some one else's favorite and I respect that. Richard

Can someone tell me the range of years Karinska designed the costumes for the NYCB? Did she go back as far as the Nutcracker production? Richard

I have to be honest, when I first saw the piece in the late 60s , I had no idea what to make of it. It seemed like Agon-y. However time and experience are powerful agents, and yes, now I can see some of the wittiness that Perky mentions. Also in general, I now "get" the piece; it is no longer Agon-y for me. Stravinsky in general (not just this score) was very hard for me as a teenager. Now I hear his music very differently Richard

Balanchine could be another example. Even when he is sticking with the standard vocabulary, there is the element of speed and complexity . As Sofiane Sylve says "where you would expect to do two tendus, Balanchine has you do six" He also pushes the vocabulary; he might call for an execution of a step but with a diagonal orientation rather than a verticle one. And he was always looking for new ones that would mesh well into the standard ones. An example could be all the hops on pointe in Ballo della Regina. Merrill Ashley talks about the origin of these steps in a documentary. Richard

Agree with this. And there was NO jester. RIchard

This is pretty much what Vishneva says on her site. She's not leaving MT but she is taking on some guest gigs at the Bolshoi Richard